Darug occupation of Western Metropolitan Sydney dates back 30,000 years. Within two years of smallpox being introduced in 1789 50% -90% of the Darug population had died.

Land clearing and farming was a source of conflict with the white settlers. From 1891 onwards Darug people were shot at for gathering the crops and animals that were grown on their traditional gathering land, replacing the native food sources, or even for walking across cleared and fenced land. In 1801 an order was issued permitting the shooting of any Aborigine west of Parramatta.

In 1814 Governor Macquarie accepted a proposal to set up a Native Institute at Parramatta to educate Aboriginal Children. Within a few years children were being taken from their families by force. In 1819, one of the Aboriginal girls attending the Institute won first prize in the Anniversary Schools examination. Macquarie granted land and farm equipment to Aborigines prepared to settle down and farm. The area where these farms were established became known as 'Black Town', now Blacktown. However, by 1925 many children had run away, and some of the families had returned to their people. The settlement was closed.

Darug Corroborees and other ceremonies continued into the 1830s. By 1840, however, there were less than 300 Darug aborigines left, 10% or less of the pre-colonisation population.

The Aborigines Protection Board, established 1883, effectively disenfranchised many Aborigines. Previously many had voted as land owners. The Protection Board took the land from many of them, and many denied their heritage, claiming to be Italian or Greek in order to avoid having their children taken away.

Although many sources claim the Darugs all died out last century, there were still 50 Darug people living on a Hawkesbury River reserve at the turn of the century. Now there are many Darug descendants in Sydney. Over 300 descendants of the Darug people held a reunion in 1990. At least one sacred site forbidden to women is still maintained, and some dreaming stories survive.

Sources:
Aboriginal Issues in Western Sydney, WESTIR's Western Sydney Newsletter, Vol 11, No 1, March 1991 p. 2-9 ML Q 361.9944105/1

Kohens, Jim The Darug Aborigines, Timespan No 50 March 1993 pp 4-7 & No 51 June 1993 pp 62-65 ML Q929.20994/14

References:
Kohen, J.L. The Darug and their Neighbours Darug Link/Blacktown and District Historical Society, Blacktown 1993

Martin, Michael On Darug Land - A Short History of Western Sydney G.W.E.C. Collective

Martin, Michael On Darug Land - An Aboriginal Perspective G.W.E.C. Collective

Murray, Robert Dharug and dungaree Hargreen, Melbourne 1988 The Pemulwuy dilemma Lewers Bequest and Penrith Regional Art Gallery, 1990

Troy, Jakelin The Sydney language notebooks and responses to language contact in early colonial NSW Australian Journal of Linguistics Vol 12 No 1 June 1992 p 145-170

Turbet, Peter The Aborigines of the Sydney district before 1788 Kangaroo Press, Kenthurst, 1989

Woodroffe, Ronald Pemulwuy - Leader of the Eora tribe and ... Ngoonjook No 9 Novenber 1993 p 23-31